Now hidden away in a motel, Landon and Seylah were seated on the bed while Ruby paced around nervously. "If you won't tell me who they are, will you at least tell me why they are following you?" Landon asked Seylah. "They weren't, until you showed up. So, maybe they're following you!" Seylah replied. "I'm not stupid I would have noticed if I was being followed."

The pair continue talking but Ruby tuned out for a little bit, but tuned back in once Seylah asked this question. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Ruby and Landon froze, before sharing an unsure glance. Seylah laughed, "She's got you both, huh?" She asked as both of their faces slightly redden.

Before they could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Seylah glanced at the empty bathroom, before looking back at the kids. "Bathroom, now." She ordered them.

Ruby and Landon reluctantly obeyed. Once closed inside the bathroom, Ruby began to open the window inside the bathroom, preparing for their escape before she heard a certain voice.

Hope's voice.

Ruby really liked Hope, as much as she wouldn't admit it to Landon, she'd been thinking about the Mikealson a lot since leaving the Salvatore school. Ruby hoped something could happen between the pair... that they could eventually become something more.

Landon and Ruby exited the bathroom, Hope and Alaric both looked relieved once they saw the pair unharmed. Hope and Ruby exchanged smiles, as Ruby felt relieved to see the girl again.

Moments later, Alaric and Seylah were talking. Hope sat beside Ruby and Landon, as the trio were on the side of one of the other beds.

"So you're the headmaster of a private school for supernaturals... and you're the teacher's pet?" Seylah asked. "Actually, she's kind of a pain in my ass." Alaric chuckled. "A little judgy for an absentee mother." Hope frowned at Seylah.

"Well, now you know about us. All we know about you is that you gave birth to Landon, he says a monster attacked you, and now there's some sort of fake gas company coming after you two. So, I think it's time you start filling in some blanks." Alaric demanded.

Seylah sighed, before she began to explain herself. "When I finished my service in the army, I was recruited by an intelligence organization. The States sounded like a better life. I didn't know what I was signing up for, but soon I learned that things like you exist in this world. My job was very much like yours. To keep the supernatural world a secret. Whenever a monster went bump in the night and risked exposing the truth, I tracked it down and brought it back to headquarters."

"We're not monsters." Hope interjected quickly as Seylah looks at the tribrid, "You are to me." Hope and Ruby both frowned at this statement.

Alaric went back go their conversation, "This headquarters, where is it?" He asked as Seylah shook her head, unwilling to give it up. "Sorry. You just seem morally inclined enough to do something stupid, and there's too much blood on my hands as it is."

The woman then continued her story. "A few years in, I saw something I shouldn't. I became the hunted instead of the hunter."

"What exactly did you see?"

"I wanted to know what was happening to the monsters. Because even though I spent all that time studying their every move, I couldn't remember them at all. So I started taking notes. I realized my memory was being erased. The question was: How?" Seylah was interrupted as Alaric blurted out, "Malivore."

Seylah frowned at him skeptically, "How do you know about Malivore?" She demanded. "Landon took a knife that belonged to our school's collection. Now monsters that shouldn't exist have been coming after it ever since." Alaric spoke as Seylah looked to Landon. "He means I stole it. And then I, like, um, woke it up or something." Landon responded.

Ruby looks confused now, "Okay now I have a question. What's Malivore?" She asked. Before Alaric could answer, Hope turned to Ruby. "It's a hell dimension that consumes creatures and wipes their existence from the collective conscience." She explained before looking to Seylah. "Sound about right?"

"More or less."

Ruby frowned, feeling uneasy by the sound of that. "Creepy."

"The last monster that came for the knife was a Necromancer who screwed us over and returned it back to Malivore. Long story." Alaric said. "But he said that the knife is one of three keys that kept Malivore contained, so why are monsters still coming for you?" He asked Landon who shrugs. "I have no idea. Didn't really get a chance to ask the last one. He just tried to eat me."

Seylah blinked in surprise to which Alaric responded with, "As you can see, it's been a rough semester."

Seylah got to her feet seeming ready to leave. "It will only get worse if you don't go home and forget you heard the name. Just like we forget anyone who's ever been there."

Landon also got to his feet, wanting more answers. "Wait, wait, wait, wait. You-you have to tell us more. I mean..."

"I don't know who your father is." Seylah insisted as Ruby's face fell, as she turned to Landon to see he looked upset. The girl felt sorry for the Kirby boy.

"My job was stressful, so I had flings to blow off steam. Got pregnant, and just like your not-girlfriend said, I'm not equipped to be a mother." Seylah spoke, before she headed towards the door. She stopped, giving once last look over her shoulder at Landon. "Sorry. I thought I was giving you a better life."

With that, Seylah left the motel room, leaving Ruby, Landon, Hope and Alaric. Ruby's fists clenched, as she stood up and stormed out the door to go after Seylah. She had no idea what she wanted to say, but she felt Landon deserved better than this.

"Ruby!" Alaric quickly called out, following her. The door closed behind them as Ruby turned around to look at her headmaster. "What?" She asked, her tone sounding angry.

"Let me talk to Seylah, please stay with Hope and Landon... I think Landon needs comfort more than anything right now." The Saltzman explained. Ruby just nodded, "Okay."

Alaric left Ruby as he walked towards Seylah. Ruby instead went back to the motel room and pushed the door open, but froze by the sight she saw before her.

Hope had just thrown off her cardigan, whilst she was straddling Landon. The pair's lips were locked, but they broke apart upon hearing the door open.

Ruby's mouth had fallen open, and she felt her heart sting. "Sorry.. didn't mean to interrupt." She quickly spoke, though her tone was quite stern. "Ruby—" Hope awkwardly called out, but the pinkette had already left the motel room, slamming the door closed behind her.

❤︎

Hope, Ruby, Landon and Alaric soon found themselves chasing a Mer-Man through Triad, who had stolen an urn that Landon had actually stolen from Seylah... not to mention Seylah was about to erase herself from existence. Alaric wasn't lying when he said it'd been a long semester.

Ruby focused on the Mer-Man, not having said a single word to Hope or Landon since she had found them locking lips. Ruby's walk turned into a sprint as she chased after the monster. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she wasn't going to let it take that urn.

Hope noticed the Mer-Man was too busy being distracted by a silver ball, that was glowing red. "Ruby! No!" She suddenly called out, as the pinkette stopped in her tracks, and turned around after hearing the urgency in the Mikealson's voice. Before Hope could say anything, the silver ball explodes.

Light flashed in Ruby's face, as she felt disoriented. "Ruby!! Ruby wake up!" The werewolf opened her eyes, to see Hope standing in front of her. "..Hope?" She asked softly.

The Waithe blinked, her eyes adjusting to the bright sun. "Where... are we?" She asked Hope. Alaric instead answered, "I don't know, but I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

Ruby then looked to Hope, her smiling faltering as she remembered the moment she found her crush kissing her foster brother. The werewolf cleared her throat, before facing Alaric. "I'll be in the car." She spoke, before walking away from the tribrid.

❤︎

Now back at the Salvatore school, Ruby's shoes quietly clicked on the ground as she entered the corridor. Alaric had decided that Landon was staying, to which she was incredibly relieved about, even if she was annoyed at him.

The pinkette watched as Landon walked away with Hope and frowned as she felt hurt. She realised that Hope was probably never really interested in her, and only went for the Waithe because she thought Landon was never coming back.

"Ruby!" Josie and Lizzie both chirped as they ran into her in the corridor. The twins then both hugged the wolf. "Josie! Lizzie! I missed you both." The werewolf smiled weakly, before the trio broke apart. "I've missed you so much too." Josie chimed.

Ruby quickly looked around, noticing there was no sign of Monica. "Hey.. where's Mon?" She asks. Lizzie frowned, "Monica hasn't left her bedroom in three days." She admitted, seeming concerned.

Ruby went to ask why, but suddenly lost that train of thought as she heard Rafael's voice. She excused herself from the Saltzman twins and raced over to her twin brother, as he held his arms out. "Ruby!" Rafael boomed, as the girl fell into his arms, embracing him. "Rafi.. I missed you so much!" The pinkette confessed, though Rafael could notice a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Ruby? What's wrong?" Rafael asked suddenly, as Ruby refused to pull away from her twin, as tears filled her eyes. "I fell for Hope." She mumbled sadly. Rafael's face faltered, not only realising that himself, Landon and his twin sister had a crush on the same girl, but Hope had been all close to Landon since they'd reentered the school, giving the vibe that she had chosen him over Ruby. "Ruby... I'm sorry.." Rafael assured her as he hugged his sister again.

Ruby had fallen hard and fast, and she felt so stupid for falling for Hope despite knowing that Landon and Hope had been so close as well. "I was so stupid." Ruby sighed as she pulled away from Rafael, quickly wiping her eyes. "Rafi I'm sorry. I've just really been needing my twin, don't get me wrong I'm so happy to be back—"

"I know Ruby, I'm here for you always."